The Anaheim Ducks will conclude their four-game road trip tonight with a matchup against the Buffalo Sabres. The game is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. PT and will be broadcast on Victory+ and KCOP-13.
Anaheim, holding a record of 21-20-3, is seeking its first win since December 20. The team most recently lost to the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 5-2, with Ryan Poehling and Mikael Granlund providing the goals for the Ducks.
Following this recent loss, Anaheim has dropped out of playoff contention for the first time since early October. Head coach Joel Quenneville emphasized the importance of improving consistency to change the team’s momentum. “There’s a lot of areas we’ve got to get better and more consistent in,” Quenneville said. “Whether it’s the mindset or the confidence in doing it, but there’s gotta be an urgency for us to change the momentum.”
Buffalo enters tonight’s contest after defeating the New York Rangers 5-2. The Sabres have been performing strongly, winning 12 of their last 13 games.
Quenneville acknowledged Buffalo’s strong performance and suggested that tonight’s game could help Anaheim reverse its current trend. “They’re on a roll,” Quenneville said of Buffalo. “They’re in the opposite direction we are when we started and they’re in an opposite direction than we are right now. The roles are reversed and give them credit [for] how they’ve turned it around. We’re looking forward to doing what we can to get back on track and look at how quickly you can turn your season around.”
Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff spoke about facing Anaheim, noting that teams on losing streaks can be particularly motivated opponents. “I think we’re going to see a really desperate team tonight, for sure,” Ruff said. “I think they’re physical, they’ve got some big players. They’ve got some defense that can punish you, too. We’re going to have to be on top of our game plan; playing the game fast, get the pucks in behind, winning footraces. But they’ve got skill, they’ve got size, and there’s not game where you can take anyone for granted and we’re certainly not going to take these guys for granted.”
This marks the first meeting between Anaheim and Buffalo this season; they will play again in Anaheim on March 22.
